Sussex Tech teacher accused of sending sexual texts to a student

A Sussex Technical High School teacher is facing criminal charges after school officials learned he allegedly has been sending sexually explicit text messages to a student for the past year.

By Scott Goss

A Sussex Technical High School teacher is facing criminal charges after school officials learned he allegedly has been sending sexually explicit text messages to a student for the past year.

Stanley Daniel Zakrociemski, a 36-year-old Millsboro resident, turned himself in to state police in Georgetown on Wednesday and was charged with five counts of sexual solicitation of a child under 18, according to Delaware State Police spokesman Master Cpl. Gary Fournier.

Zakrociemski is currently being held at the Sussex Correctional Instiution on a $100,000 secured bond.

An unidentified school employee reportedly learned Tuesday that Zakrociemski had been sending the texts to the student since at least March of 2012, Fournier said.

After the school contacted police Wednesday, detectives determined the relationship between Zakrociemski and the student never became physical, he said.

The student reportedly was 17 when the texting began in March 2012. She turned 18 in December, Fournier said.

“Daniel Zakrociemski is suspended pending the completion of the investigation,” read a statement released by the school Thursday. “State and federal law protect the privacy rights of District employees. Thus, the District is not in a position to release additional information.”

Zakrociemski was hired by Sussex Tech in 2011, following a stint at a private school in New Castle County.

Last September, the high school named him its staff member of the month. At the time, he was identified as the school’s student activities coordinator.

According to a press release from the school announcing the award, Zakrociemski was commended for his coordination of student travel to national events over the summer.

In June, he joined health professional students on a weeklong trip to Orlando, Fla., for a leadership conference, before flying to Kansas City, Mo., to be with students competing in the weeklong National Skills USA conference.

Zakrociemski is the second staff member at Sussex Tech to be arrested this year after allegedly engaging in inappropriate behavior with a student.

In January, a 29-year-old custodian was charged with rape, unlawful sexual contact, child sexual abuse and sexual harassment after police learned he allegedly had a yearlong sexual relationship with one 16-year-old student and sexually harassed another.